Michał Gajownik

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Michał Gajownik (born 15 December, 1981 in Chrzanów) is a Polish flatwater canoer who has won two world championship gold medals as a member of Poland's C-4 Canadian canoe team.

Gajownik became C-2 500m junior world champion in 1999. The following year, at the age of only 19, he became senior European C2 1000m champion with Posnania Poznań club-mate Paweł Baraszkiewicz. At the Sydney Olympics however they finished in eight place.

After Sydney, Gajownik concentrated on the four-man canoe, winning his first world championship title in Seville in 2002. At the start of the 2003 season however he tested positive for nandrolone. He denied the charge but was given a two-year ban which cost him a place at the 2004 Olympics.

He returned to competitive action in 2005 and it proved to be his most successful year to date. He won both gold (C-4 1000m) and bronze (C-4 500m) medals at the world championships in Zagreb.

He is a member of the Posnania Poznań club.

External links:

• Michał Gajownik training group http://www.kanadyjkarze.pl
• Posnania Club http://www.posnania.pl